WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — More than a week after Republican voters went to the polls to decide who will represent the 117th District in Luzerne County, voters still don’t have an answer.
And it’s likely it’ll be some time before they do.
A hearing Friday may have produced enough uncounted votes to sway the election to either incumbent Mike Cabell or challenger Jaime Walsh, but it will still be a few days before county officials will know if they can open 13 provisional ballots.
Both sides issued challenges to the provisional ballots and have until the end of day Monday to file an appeal. That seems likely.
"The ones on which the statute are clear," said Shohin Vance, attorney for the Cabell campaign "Two, I think."
Gregory Teufel, an attorney for Walsh's campaign, said they have not made a decision yet to appeal. The majority of the challenges argued Friday were brought by the Walsh campaign.
Whoever wins this primary will likely win the seat. There’s no Democratic challenger for November’s general election.
As of right now, Walsh is up four votes, according to the county election office.
However, 13 more votes will still have to factor in because the board unanimously voted Friday and dismissed challenges to those provisional ballots.
Those challenges mainly centered on slip ups like a missing sticker or a misplaced signature or address.
During the hearing, board Chair Denise Williams said she’s disinclined to disenfranchise voters because of administrative mistakes. Other members of the board agreed
However, in one case, the Cabell campaign sought to count one provisional ballot that the board previously discarded because the voter lives in McAdoo, but voted in Butler Township.
That voter is Cabell’s cousin, Teufel said. The vote should be tossed because they live out of Luzerne County.
Vance said the voter lived in Butler Township and didn’t establish residence in McAdoo until the end of March, which he said is within the 30-day period allowed by the election code.
The board denied Vance's challenge of the board's determination to discard the ballot.
That voter didn’t show up because he was at work, said Vance.
In fact, only a few of those voters whose ballots were challenged showed up. Newswatch 16 caught up with a few of them as they left Friday.
They just wanted to make sure their votes are counted.
"We’re all in this," said Daryl Chipelski, of Sugarloaf Township. "We’re all doing our duty. I voted I wanted it to count. That’s why I came."